Itchy Feet
One of my true loves in life is travelling, and though I'm a Londoner at heart, I am forever planning where I am going for my next trip - so when I saw my timetable for 15th - 22nd February was labelled "Study", this could only mean one thing: "Holiday"!
(Remember playing hard allows you to work harder!)
Lake Como & Milan
As it is becoming rarer and rarer for my busy family to find time to spend together, going away is always a treat. Rather than just a city break though, we decided we would go on a different sort of holiday - to the Italian countryside, and visit Lake Como (Lago di Como), a quiet area just outside Milan that we had heard was so beautiful even George Clooney had moved there..!
We arrived late at night and drove up and down very windy roads to our apartment where we were staying, near the village of Menaggio. Though we usually opt for hotels, we had heard apartments were a popular and more personal way to enjoy the lake. After trawling through many reviews on Tripadvisor, I had booked Balcon Fiorito, a two-apartment lodging run by a Scottish lady, Eleanor.
Unlike hotels, where clicking and paying is the most contact you have before arrival, I could tell from our email exchanges this was a different kind of service. Eleanor made our stay as comfortable as possible, from asking for our flight arrival time and giving us directions to the apartment, to ringing ahead a pizzeria who would cook us dinner. When we arrived she then gave us a bottle of wine and silver almonds to celebrate my parents' upcoming 25th wedding anniversary which I had mentioned to her briefly only in passing! She was the perfect host and made us scrumptious breakfasts during our stay which included a freshly baked coffee cake and Scotch pancakes! She was also of course able to give us personal recommendations to restaurants and interesting places to visit in the area.
On our first morning, the beauty of Lake Como was revealed to us; crystal clear waters dramatically flanked by the snow-capped Alps against a cloudless blue sky, with quaint villas stretching up the slopes. It couldn't be more pictureque.
The beautiful blues of Lake Como
We spent our time there exploring the villages and small towns dotted around the lake, sometimes using the ferry boats to cross the waters, other times relying on our trusty TomTom to guide us. As it was the off-peak season, much of the scenery was little disturbed by tourists and we were able to enjoy a snippet of local life. The flipside was many attractions were closed but as we were there for a short period this was not a huge matter.
Belagio - the town after which the famous fountain-clad hotel in Las Vegas is named after!
The shoreline at Varena
Our last day was spent revisiting Milano and easing ourselves back into City life. This is the beautiful Duomo (Cathedral) at the heart of Milan:
So if you're looking for an alternative, less well known destination to relax in, I would highly recommend Lake Como + Milan, particularly when you can get hot chocolates like this...
...I admit I am presently planning my retirement in the region!
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Paris in 2 days
Day 1
After Milan, I headed straight out to Paris for a quick break with a good friend (I have to make the most of my one week student holidays!). We travelled by Eurostar which we had jointly booked with a hotel as part of a package. I had been once on the Eurostar before to Amsterdam and again was reminded how convenient it is to travel from the heart of one city to another, without having to arrive hours early as you would for a plane. Though initially it may seem pricey, actually the Eurostar can be more pocket-friendly than you might think, particularly if you can be flexible with your timings. Hotel Kleber (3*) was also excellent. It was located a stone's throw from L'Arc de Triomphe and so in prime position for exploring the city's major sights. The staff were also very polite and friendly - almost as helpful as Eleanor!
I had been to Paris numerous times before as a child when we used to visit Disneyland. The only time I had been in recently though was three years ago as part of a charity "Rag dash" - the kind of trip which is lots of fun but not designed for sightseeing!
Les Champs-Élysées
With such a short time schedule we had planned our itinerary quite thoroughly and headed straight via the L'Arc de Triomphe to the Champs-Élysées dreamily looking into the windows at the vast array of grand displays. We passed the Grand and Petit Palais, Place de la Concorde and Jardin des Tuileries until eventually winding down for a spot of lunch on Rue Saint-Honoré. This is a bit like the Bond Street of Paris, and so probably not the best place for finding food - we did enjoy our quiche and omelette but for a hefty pricetag. The toilet in the café also charged which I found particularly cheeky!
Le jardin des Tuileries
There was no time to dauble however. After lunch we headed towards the Eiffel Tower, on the way finding Rue Cler, a small cobbled residential street with various stalls selling fruit, pastries and other delights. This was one of my favourite spots of the trip and hence why I think it is always good to walk when you can - not only is it healthy but it allows you to discover the non-touristy corners that you might not otherwise find. Though having said that you may find like us you want to try every pastry and macaroon you see!
The Eiffel Tower was of course a glorious sight particularly in the lovely wintry sun; the queue to ascend in the lifts however was a less inviting sight and we decided we would leave that experience to the following morning when the crowds would be less large. Instead we headed to the Notre Dame, firstly visiting its Crypt which exhibited the story of how Paris came to be built over the years. My favourite part was the interactive 3D simulation of the making of Notre Dame! We also entered into the cathedral itself, however I found the throng of tourists inside made the visit slightly unpleasant. It felt very much like a tourist attraction with much too many people rather than somewhere sacred.
Opposite the Notre Dame, we happened upon the Hotel-Dieu Hospital, one of the oldest in Paris, and an intriguing place. Though very much a working hospital, visitors are allowed to wander the pretty grounds and I later found out you can stay in the little hotel they have there. I'm not sure how I would feel about staying in a hotel within a hospital, but it is probably worth a try at some point in the future!
We rounded off the afternoon with cheesecake and souvenir shopping before jumping onto a night bus tour of the city - very interesting and a welcome break for our weary legs!
Day 2
Slightly bleary-eyed but armed with coffee and pain au chocolat, we headed straight to the Eiffel Tower where sure enough even though the ticket offices were not yet open there was already a queue - half the length of the previous day's however! Glad with our decision to postpone our visit to this morning, we waited patiently for 9:30am to arrive. It did but no staff seemed to appear... at around 9:45am beige-clad workers started to mill around but it wasn't until a very cold 10am that finally the barriers were lifted! Luckily the views at the summit melted our slightly annoyance at French punctuality - the Iron Lady of France does have a spectacular view of Paris!
From the Eiffel Tower it was on to the Louvre (with more croissants!). The building was far larger than I had expected and one would probably need a full day or more to see everything but we were happy to visit just the Denon wing, the one which houses the Mona Lisa. It didn't take us long to find another crowd of people in room 6 where the painting dutifully hangs. I'm not sure it's worth all the hype, but agree her eyes do seem to watch you around the room!
Under the pyramid of the Louvre; and the crowds around the Mona Lisa
From the Louvre we walked along the Seine towards St Germain (a locality in south east Paris), passing the little book stalls along the banks and the thousands of "love locks" on the Pont des Arts. After more wandering around the Latin Quarter unsuccessfully looking for falafel wraps we had heard rave reviews about, we ended up having crepes instead near the Jardin du Luxembourg - I did not mind this in the slightest ;) and opted for a Galette (savoury crêpe made with buckwheat flour), with creamed spinach, and generous helpings of smoked salmon.
From here we headed to the Centre Pompidou, kind of Tate Modern + Barbican Centre that houses a permanent modern art collection as well as temporary exhibitions, and a cinema or two. I had really wanted to see the Salvidor Dalí retrospective - the largest in over 30 years of his works, however there was again another long queue at the Centre. The building itself was beautiful though and with our EU passports, we were free to visit the permanent collection and also the viewing gallery. The viewing platform was stunning and unexpectedly different to the Eiffel Tower - the escalators take you just above the rooftops and so can see Paris' pretty skyline as opposed to having an aerial view. (Even if you are over 25 years, this only costs 3 euros and is well worth it!) The permanent collection was also worth seeing and a lovely end to our trip.
Centre Pompidou
For those interested, the Dalí exhibition moves to Madrid's Reina Sofia Musueum from March - September... I think I might have to pop over there in the summer!
À bientôt!
-Tips for trips to Lake Como:
- The off-peak season is a great time to visit - probably around March - April would be slightly better than February as more attractions like villas, and restaurants, will be open
- There are many apartments in the area - read them up on Tripadvisor (type "appartments Lake Como") - Balcon Fiorito where we stayed can be found here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g194821-d620172-Reviews-Balcone_Fiorito_Bed_Breakfast-Menaggio_Lake_Como_Lombardy.html
- Fly to Milan Malpensa and hire a car from there, Como is about an hour away. (Travel here without a car is difficult)
- It's easy to fit in a trip to Milan with Como as we did, or even Switzerland which is just beyond the North side of the lake
- Milan has lots of excellent food establishments - again Tripadvisor is great for this - two must-visit places I would recommend are Pizzeria Spontini (there are several branches)for pizza even the Italians say is good, & Ciccolati Italiani for sumptuous ice cream
- If you happen to live in ballet flats like me, Lolita is a great shop immediately next to the large Zara by the Duomo (photo above)
- Plan where you might eat beforehand - avoid touristy/shopping districts - local bakeries are on practically on every street corner and are great for quick pitstops. Paris is also any foodie's dreamland!
- Think carefully about how much you want to walk or take the metro - it may be better to invest in a day metro pass or carnet of 10 tickets
- Prebook exhibitions and attractions where you can to avoid queues however remember this means your itinerary will be less flexible
- Revise a little of your GCSE French, a little goes a long way!
- Visit before you are 25 years old if possible as many of the attractions e.g. Louvre, Centre Pompidou & Eurostar offer discounts/free entrance to EU citizens under 25 (Bring your passport to all attractions)
- If you don't want to queue for the Eiffel Tower or pay so much for a bird's eye view of Paris, the Centre Pompidou offers a much cheaper (3 euros) option that is also stunning!
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